The Golden State Warriors will be on the road on Thursday to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a Western Conference matchup. The Warriors are leading the Western Conference with a 29-7 record and are coming off a 99-82 road loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Pelicans are 14th in the West with a 13-25 record and are riding a three-game losing streak after losing 123-110 at home on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns.
Warriors at Pelicans Betting Preview
Golden State Warriors Preview: Defensive Masterminds
The Golden State offense has been playing very well as they are currently 11th in the NBA, averaging 110.5 points per game this season. They know how to shoot the ball effectively as they are fourth, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and sixth shooting 36.6 percent from the three-point line. Point guard Stephen Curry is questionable with a quadriceps bruise but has been playing extremely well as he is playing 34.7 minutes and is averaging 26.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game.
The Warriors are leading the entire league as they are giving up 101.4 points per game this season. A huge reason why is the fact that they are tied for second in three-point shooting as they are tied for second with the Phoenix Suns, allowing teams to shoot 32.8 percent. One thing they need to work on is the fact that they are giving up 22 free-throw attempts per game throughout the season thus far.
New Orleans Pelicans Preview: Looking for Improvement
The Pelicans offense has been struggling as they are 25th in the NBA, scoring 105.4 points per game. They have been struggling to shoot the ball as they are 43.2 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from distance. Small forward Brandon Ingram has been leading the charge as he is averaging 22.2 points, six rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 0.6 steals in 34.6 minutes per game.
The New Orleans defense has been struggling a bit as they are 22nd in the league as they are allowing 110.7 points per game. Their biggest woe is the fact that they are giving up 37.5 percent from beyond the arc as they are only ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, and that is way too high. The defense needs to step up if they want to be a competitive team this season.
Who to Bet on Warriors at Pelicans
The Golden State Warriors are currently listed as a 2.5 point road favorite, and that is with Stephen Curry listed as questionable for this game. Shooting guard Andre Iguodala (knee) and small forward Otto Porter Jr (foot) are listed as questionable, while James Wiseman (knee) and shooting guard Klay Thompson (knee) are not going to play here for the Warriors.
The Pelicans will have point guard Didi Louzada is eligible to return from suspension while power forward Zion Williamson (foot) and Kira Lewis Jr (knee) are both out for New Orleans. The Warriors smother shooters on the defensive side of the floor and should dominate here. Golden State is 28-13-2 against the spread in their last 43 games, while New Orleans is 1-4 against the spread in their last five games. All in all, go with Golden State to cover the spread on the road.
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